Air conditioning system for rail cars



Feb. 21, 1939. R. J. BARROWS ET AL 2,148,105

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR RAIL CARS Original Filed April 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 QQS SSQQ kr i sham W Feb. 21, 1939. R. J. BARROWS E AL 2,148,105

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR RAIL CARS Original Filed April 14, 1933 2'Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 21, 1939 Robert J. Burrows and Alfred 0. Williams, Battle Creek, Mich., assignors, by mesne assignments,

to Clark Equipment Company,

Buchanan,

Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application April 14, 1933, Serial No. 666,076 Renewed September 13, 1937 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to rail cars and the like adapted particularly for passenger trafiic and is especially concerned with the provision of air conditioning means arranged 5 for a motor driven rail car of the light weight type, although our invention is not to be necessarily limited to this type of equipment.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of air conditioning means for vehicles which is capable of delivering a substantially constant amount of properly treated air to the passenger compartments of the car, the extent or degree of treatment of the air; such as heating, cooling and the like, being governed by means responsive to such conditions on the interior of said compartments.

More specifically, one object of the present invention is the provision of an improved heating means for rail cars and the like in which a source of heat, which may be, for example, a radiator or the like, heated from the motor of the rail car, and means for controlling the proportion of air heated by coming into contact with said heat source in accordance with temperature conditions existing within the passenger compartment. Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel form of control means by which certain proportions of the total volume of air delivered to the car may be shunted around the heat source out of thermal contact therewith so as to thus effectively control the temperature of the air entering the passenger compartment of the car.

Still furthenanother object of the present invention is the provision of air conditioning means which embodies both heating and'cooling means, the proportion of air modified byeither of these means being effectively controlled, and particularly is it an object of the present invention to secure such control without varying the total volume of air directed into the passenger compartment.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of air conditioning means in which a portion of the air delivered to the passenger compartment is withdrawn from outside the car while another portion of the air is withdrawn from the interior of the passenger compartment so as to secure a recirculation therein, the the amount of recirculation secured being controlled and thereby capable of being adjusted to meet various conditions. For example, the recirculation desired within the passenger compartment may be greater during cold weather in order to secure somewhat greater efficiency for the heating means. Likewise, a substantial amount of recirculation may be desirable during hot weather in which the major treatment of the air may consist in cooling the same. Also, during warmer weather it may be desirable to draw most of the air from outside the car, thereby reducing the extent of recirculation,

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a specific construction in which the principles of the present invention have preferably been embodied, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, i1- lustrating such embodiment.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating one type of rail car in which the principles of the present invention have been utilized;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken through the passenger compartment of the car shown in Figure 1 and illustrating the operation of the air conditioning means of the present invention; Figure 3 isan enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3'.

Referring now to the drawings, the body of the rail car is indicatedby the reference numeral I and, as best shown. in Figure 2, the body includes a passenger compartment 2, the forward end of which is closed by means of a transverse bulkhead 3. The car body, particularly the passenger compartmenti thereof, is in the form of a double walled compartment including an inner wall 5 and an outer wall it between which is disposed soundideadening material I. The passenger compartment 2 is, as is customary, provided with windows It! and preferably these windows are mounted in the sidewalls of the passenger compartment in hermetically sealed airtight relation.

Forward of the bulkhead 3 are compartments l2 and it formed by longitudinally disposed walls M and I5 and transversely disposed walls [6 and !1. As will be noted from Figure 2, the compartments l2 and I3 are disposed on opposite sides of an entrance passageway 2|] by which access is-had to the passenger compartment 2 through a door 2| in the central portion of the bulkhead 3. Forward of the lefthand compartment I3 is a third compartment 24. The present invention is not particularly concerned with the uses to which the compartments l2 and 24 are put, it being understood thatthe compartments l2 and "i l may be used for any service desired in connection with the particular type of rail car involved. The compartment l3, however, contains certain parts of the air conditioning system with which the present invention is concerned, as will be described later. The compartments l2, l3 and 24 are preferably closed at the uppergportions by a ceiling or transverse horizontal bulkhead 26 spaced a short distance below the roof 2! of the car. Access is gained to the entrance passageway 20 from outside the car through doors 30 arranged at either side of the car.

The major portion of the air conditioning apparatus is arranged in thecompartment l3 forward of the transverse bulkhead 3. Referring now more particularly to Flgure=3, a blower 35 of conventional construction is mounted upon a base 35 which also carries drivingtmeans in the form of an electric motor 31 or the equivalent. Preferably, the blower 35 is belt driven and the motor 31 is equipped with a plurality of pulleys 38, 39 and 40 ofdiiferent diameters to provide for. varying or adjusting the speed at which the blower 35 is driven. The blower 35 is, supported upon supporting bars in the form of spacedangle irons 43 secured in any mannerdesired to the walls of the compartment 13. Preferably, the base. 36 is connected with the spacedbars 43 by cushioning means in. the form .of rubber bushings 45 or the equivalent, such bushings serving to prevent the transmission of vibrations from the blower 35 or the motor 31. to the body of the' rail (39.1.

The discharge end. of the blower is connected by a flexible bellows, with one end of a discharge conduit 50. The flexible .bellows .41 is secured to the upper. endof. the blower outlet 45 and to the lower end of theconduit 50 by clamping bands 5| and. 52, respectively, the flexible bellows 41 effectively preventing the transmission of any materialamount. of. vibration from the rapidly rotating blower 35 or the motor 31 to the walls of the car body. Theupper end of the conduit 50 is secured in a suitably shaped opening in the ceiling or transverse horizontal bulk-- head 26 forming the. top of the compartment. l3. A discharge opening 56 is provided in the bulkhead 3 above the door 2! and the ceiling 26 and substantially midwaybetween the side walls of the car, and the horizontal bulkhead 26, the upper portion of the vertical bulkhead 3. and associated parts serve as a manifoldby which the air directed into the space above the ceiling 26.by the blower 35 passes rearwardly through the opening 56 directly into the passenger compartment 2, thus eliminating the necessity forseparate conduits and the like. The ceiling 26 and the associated walls therefore form a continuation of the conduit means of which the member 50 forms a part. Preferably, the opening 56-,is. closed .by an ornamental grill 51 or the like.

As indicated in Figure 2, the rear end of the rail car is preferably streamlined by being formed with .a tapered tail 60. The rear portion of the passenger. compartment. 2. is closed. by a pair of relatively narrowtransverse bulkheads or .walls SI and 62, and the walls 6| may be provided with a door 62a forming, if desired, an emergency exit for the .car. In this connection, the rear end of the car body may be provided with emergenoy .doors 63 and 64 at. either side thereof. Preferably, also, the rear end. of the car is provided with one or more outlets 65, and the wall 6! above the door, 620 is provided with an outlet opening 66 which, likethe discharge opening 56 in the forward bulkhead 3, is provided with an ,any back flow of air into the passenger compartment. The partition 62 is placed back of the doors 63 and 64 and in front of the opening '65 and extends from the roof of the car to within ashort distance from the floor. This latter partitionacts as a'bafiie plate and cooperates with a gravity door 61a in preventing any'direct flow of air from the rear of the car into the passenger compartment.

:The tw'oor more supporting bars 43 which carry the weight of the blower and the motor 31, are spaced apart to allow for the free passage of air therethrough' to the-blower. 35. One of the advantages of having. a free flow. of air into the compartment, and thence to the intake of the blower itself, is that there is no opportunity for vibrations of the blower to be amplified by a practically straight line flow of air to the intake of the blower,.such as is possible where the blower itself is merely disposed in between two lines or conduits. Where there isa free flow of air about the blower, no resonance or vibration of a moving volume of air in a straight line duct or tube can be set up, for there is suflicient opportunity for eddy currents and the like to effectively dampen any tendency for the vibrations to be transmitted in this manner. It must be remembered that in light weight cars and the like employing quite thin metallic panels and the like it is very desirable to eliminate as much vibration from any of the operating parts as is possible. Disposed below the supporting bars 43 are two inlet openings providing for the entrance of airinto the compartment l3 under the suction created by the blower 35. One of the openings is indicated in Figure 3 by the reference numeral Ill and is formed in the lower part of the bulkhead 3 to one side'thereof and in the position thereof which forms the rear wall of the compartment l3. Preferably, this inlet opening 10 is also covered by an ornamental grill 1| or the like designed toallow the right amount of recirculating air, which is preferably constant. Access to the air conditioner compartment I3 is had only by means of a door 15 opening into the service compartment 24. If desired, however, the door 15 may be disposed in the wall I5 of the entrance passageway 20.

The other inlet opening is indicated by the reference numeral'80 and is formed in one side of the car body. Preferably, this opening is provided with an ornamental grill or with louvres 8|. In addition, this opening may also be provided with any desired form of .air screening or cleaning means, and such as indicated by the reference numeral 82 in Figure 3. Preferably, the air cleaner 82 is disposed in the compartment 13 and can be removed therefrom for the purpose of cleaning the same or for purposes of replacement. A hinged door 83 is provided for the opening 80 and is preferably formed of a plate or sheet reenforced with angles and hinged along its rear edge, as at 83a. This door is held closed or in any partially opened position by a ratchet knob 84 on the partition I! pinned onto a shaft 84a and provided with ratchet teeth 84b. The shaft 95 and the cooling unit 99.

carries an arm 84c connected by a link 84d with a bracket 84c mounted on the door 83.

Reference has been made above to means for conditioning the air which is directed into the passenger compartment by the blower 35 and associated conduit means. In the preferred form of construction, the air conditioning means is in the: form of heating and/or cooling means disposed between the air inlets I and 80 and the intake of the blower 35. Referring now more particularly toFigure 3, the reference numeral 85 indicates an auxiliary radiator of the cellular type and is connected by conduits 86 and 81. with the cooling system of the motor of the rail car,

- where the motor of the rail car is of the water cooled type. As will be understood, the cooling means of the motor, heated by the operation thereof, will be circulated through the conduits 86 and 81 and the radiator 85, thereby warming the air which comes into thermal contact with the radiator 85.

The cooling means is indicated by the reference numeral 90 and preferably takes the form of a refrigerator unit 9I of conventional construction communicating by conduits 92 and 93 with any form of refrigerating apparatus which can be carried by the car and operated either by the power of the motor thereof or by any independent source of power available.

The degree of heat or the amount of chilling imparted to the air directed into the passenger compartment is controlled, as will be apparent, by the proportions of the air which moves into thermal relation with respect to the heating unit According to the present invention, rneans for governing the relative amounts of air thus treated is provided, and preferably this means takes the form of two sets of pivoted :vanes 95 and 96. v The vanes 95 and 99 are mounted upon a suitable framework I99 supported within the compartment I3, which framework may also be utilized for supporting the radiator 85. The vanes 95 are mounted just above the radiator 85 and control the amount of air passing through the radiator. The vanes 96 are disposed just above the cooling unit 90, which unit may also. be supported by the aforesaid framework.

, The sets of vanes 95 and 96 are interconnected to be simultaneously operated so as to vary the effect of the heating means and the cooling means and the air passing therethrough. The individual vanes are pivotally mounted in the framework are and are adapted to be moved from open to closed position. As one feature of the present invention, it is contemplated that the vanes of the two sets shall be so interconnected that when one set is entirely closed, the other set is entirely opened, and the vanes of each set can be moved from open to closed position and to any intermediate point. Further, the sets are so interconnected that they serve as means by which it is possible, if desired, to divert all of the air flow through either of the units 85 or 90 and to control the proportion of. air which passes in thermal relation with both of said units. Since pivoted vanes are employed to secure the above mentioned result, the vanes 95 are arranged at substantially 99 degrees with respect to thevanes 96, and this relation is maintained in any adjusted position of the sets. By virtue of this construction, therefore, the total volume of air flow remains substantially constant while the effect of the respective heating and cooling means can be optionally varied to subject the air flow, as a whole, to any desired temperature within the range provided for by the particular heating and cooling units employed.

From the above, it willthus be observed that the air drawn in through the inlet openings 10 and 88 can follow two paths, one through the radiator 85 and the other through the cooling unit 98 and that the position of the vanes 95 and 93 effectively controls the proportion of air which is caused to flow along each of the paths while the total flow along both paths remains substantially the same.

Reference has been made above to the provision of a cooling unit 90. The provision of such a unit may not be necessary in all cases, and particularly it may not be necessary where the car is operated during periods when the outside temperature is not excessively high. In such cases, therefore, the cooling unit 98 may be entirely eliminated, but in this case the operation of the air conditioning system as a whole is not materially changed, the air directed into the passenger compartment 2 reaching the air blower 35 by means of two paths, one leading into thermal relation with the heating unit 85 and the other shunting or passing around the heating unit out of thermal contact therewith, the proportion of air passing along these two paths being, as before, entirely controlled by the position of the interconnected vanes 95 and 96.

As another important feature of the present invention, it is contemplated that the position of the controlling vanes 95 and 96 shall be governed by means which is responsive to some characteristic existing within the passenger compartment 2. Where the units 85 and 90 are heating and cooling units, or where only a heating or only a cooling unit is employed with the air proportionately shunted around the unit, the control means for governing the position of the vanes 95 and 96 is preferably means responsive to the temperature within the passenger compartment 2. Any conventional or well known means may be employed for this purpose. For example, the sets of vanes 95 and 96 may be interconnected by means of links H0 and III connected, respectively, to lugs H2 and H3, the latter being operatively associated with the sets of vanes so that shifting the lugs will adjust the vanes. At the inner or adjacent ends the links I I9 and 1 II are connected with a shiftable member H5 in the form of a lever pivoted, as at H6, to a stationary part in the compartment I3. The upper end of'the' shiftable lever H5 is link connected with an arm Hl forming a part of an operating mechanism H8 carried in the compartment I8. The mechanism H8 is under the control of a temperature responsive unit I25 (see Figure 2) disposed in the passenger compartment 2, preferably in the coldest section thereof, any form of connections being provided between the unit I25 and the mechanism H8. Since the present invention is not particularly concerned with the details per se of the temperature responsive mechanism, and since such operating mechanisms are available in the open market, such details have not been illustrated. It is sufiicient to note that the arm I I1 is actuated by the mechanism H8 to position the vanes 95 and 95 in a given definite position, according to the tem;

perature at the unit I25. I I In this connection it is to be noted that the temperature unit I25 is representative of any form of responsive means sensitive to the characteristic in the. passenger compartment which the air modifying means in the compartment I3 is adapted to adjust or vary. Naturally, where either heating means or cooling means or both, are disposed in the path of the air directed into the passenger compartment, the unit I25 is a temperature responsive unit, but it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be neccssarily limited to temperature varying means as the air conditioning mechanism with which the rail car of the present invention is to be equipped.

The operation of the above described structure is believed to be apparent. The blower 35 is preferably driven at a constant rate,*this rate being capable of adjustment to meet various conditions by virtue of the multi-faced pulley by which the motor 3! drives the blower. Since the windows of the passenger compartment are substantially air tight, the blower 35 is in operation at all times whenever the car is in use. The air discharged by the blower 35 is directed above the ceiling 26 and out through the discharge outlet 56 into the passenger compartment. In one construction it was found that 600 cubic feet per minute proved quite satisfactory. in operation. Some of the air in the passenger compartment is re-circulated by being drawn in through the inlet opening and some of the air escapes through the outlets or openings 66 and 61. In the above mentioned embodiment, it was found that if the openings and 61 were provided so as to provide for the escape of approximately 300 cubic feet per minute of air, the opening ll] being arranged to provide this rate, satisfactory conditions were obtained. As is obvious, to force any quantity of air out through the car openings 66 and 61, as for example the 300 cubic feet per minute mentioned above, requires a greater pressure within the car than the atmospheric pressure outside the car, and this inside pressure tends to prevent the entrance of dust, dirt and foreign matter, as well as cold drafts and the like, through the window and door openings. In the example assumed above, where 600 cubic feet of air per minute are discharged through the opening 56 into the passenger space, 300 cubic feet of which escapes out through the openings 66 and 61, an equal quantity per minute is necessarily drawn in from the outside through the freshair inlet 80. Means for varying the effective size of the opening 10 may be provided if desired. It is to be understood that even when the car is standing still this increase of pressure within the car is obtained by fan 35, and that outside air is drawn into the car while it is stationary in order to compensate for the amount of air discharged through the openings 66 and 61. The amount of air circulated depends, as will be obvious, upon the setting of the door 83. This setting of the door 83 may also be used to determine the amount of fresh air drawn in through the fresh air inlet 86 in the side of the car, or, by closing the door 53 completely, the car may be warmed up quickly, using only re-circulated air until the desired temperature is reached. All air drawn in through the openings 10 and 80 must pass upwardly in the compartment l3 by the air modifying means 85 and 90 and between the supporting bars 43 to the intake of the blower 35. As mentioned above, the refrigerating unit is not essential un- -ss the car is used in warm weather, and it is also possible that under certain conditions the heating unit 85 might be entirely dispensed with and only a refrigerating cooling unit employed. For ordinary operation in temperate climates, it is probable that the provision of only one unit,

the heating unit such as the one indicated at 85 in Figure 3, would be sufficient. In any case, the air can be considered as drawn to the blower 35 along two more or less parallel paths, the amount of air flowing along each path being determined by the setting of the vanes-95 and 96. As described above; these vanes are so adjusted that more or less of the air is diverted from one path to another to provide the proper control for the conditioning means while maintaining substantially a constant volume of air directed into the car.

Where the car is propelled by an internal combustion engine employing a water cooling system, the heating unit 85, if one is employed, is preferably connected with the cooling system of the motor so as to utilize the surplus heat thereof. Obviously, of course, other-heat sources may be employed, for example, electrical units, chemical units, and the like.

In all cases, the position of the vanes 95 and 86 is under the entire control of the sensitive unit I25.

While we have described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of our invention.

What we claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an air conditioning system for rail cars and the like, a transverse bulkhead disposed at the forward end of said car, an air discharge opening leading into the car and disposed at the upper intermediate portion of said bulkhead, means forming adjacent said forward bulkhead a compartment at one side thereof, a blower disposed in said compartment, supporting means for said blower comprising a plurality of supporting bars, cushioning means supporting the blower on said bars, conduit means leading from said blower to said discharge opening in the central portion of said bulkhead, an inlet opening formed in the lower portion of said bulkhead adjacent one side thereof and communicating with said compartment, a second inlet opening disposed in one side of said car and leading into the lower portion of said compartment for admitting outside air into the car, both of said inlet openings being disposed below said supporting bars, an outlet opening at the rear end of the car to provide for the escape of air from the interior of the car, said outlet opening being adjacent the upper portion of the rear end of the car, a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse Walls carried at the rear end of the car forward of said outlet opening, the forward one of said longitudinally spaced walls having an outlet opening near the top thereof and the other of said rear walls having an opening at the bottom.

2. In an air conditioning system for rail cars and the iike,'a transverse bulkhead disposed at the forward end of said car, an air discharge opening leading into the car and disposed at the upper intermediate portion of said bulkhead, air conditioning means carried by the car and adapted to direct conditioned air through said opening into the car, an outlet opening at the rear of the car and disposed adjacent the upper portion of the rear end thereof to provide for the escape of air from the interior of the car, a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse walls carried at the rear end of the car forward of said outlet opening, one of said longitudinally spaced walls having an outlet opening near the top thereof and the other of said rear walls having an opening at the bottom.

3. In an air conditioning system for rail cars and the like, a transverse bulkhead disposed at the forward end of said car; an air discharge opening leading into the car and disposed at the upper intermediate portion of said bulkhead, air conditioning means carried by the car and adapted to direct conditioned air through said opening into the car, an outlet opening at the rear of the car and disposed adjacent the upper portion of the rear end thereof to provide for the escape of air from the interior of the car, a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse walls carried at the rear end of the car forward of said outlet opening, the forward one of said longitudinally spaced walls having two outlet openings, one near the top of the wall and the other near the bottom, and the other of said rear walls being disposed adjacent the rear opening in the upper partpf the rear end of the car and having an opening at the bottom of the wall.

4. In an air conditioning system for rail cars and the like having a substantially hermetically sealed compartment, a transverse bulkhead disposed adjacent the forward end of the car and defining the forward wall of said compartment, an air discharge opening in said bulkhead, a compartment disposed forwardly of said bulkhead, a blower disposed in said second compartment, conduit means leading from the discharge end of said blower to said discharge outlet, an outlet opening at the rear end of the car, a transverse wall disposed forwardly of said rear outlet opening, a shutter controlled opening in said transverse wall near the upper portion thereof, a second opening in the lower portion of said transverse wall and provided with a rearwardly swinging closure adapted to swing rearwardly to relieve the pressure in said first compartment and air inlet openings communicating with said second compartment and the blower therein, one of said openings leading from outside the car while the other opening leads from the interior of said first compartment.

5. In an air conditioning system for rail cars and the like, a transverse bulkhead disposed at the forward end of said car, an air discharge opening leading into the car and disposed at the upper intermediate portion of said bulkhead, air conditioning means carried by the car and adapted to direct conditioned air through said opening into the car, means for admitting fresh 1 air from the exterior of the car to said conditioning means, upper and lower outlet openings leading from the interior of the car at the rear thereof, volume adjusting means associated with the upper opening so that the quantity of air escaping therethrough is less than the quantity discharged into the car by said air conditioning means, and a check door associated with the lower opening to prevent back drafts from entering the car.

ROBERT J. BURROWS.

ALFRED O. WILLIAMS. 

